Tiraspol, November 25. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. Sixty-six talented musicians can’t image their lives outside academic music. The band of professional performers on string, brass and percussion instruments, representing a large-scale creative phenomenon, it is all about a symphony orchestra. It is well known not only in Pridnestrovie but also in a number of musical capitals of the world. A quarter of a century, they are on the stage, and two decades from this fruitful period under the permanent leadership of People's Artist of the PMR Gregory Moseiko. Today, the Pridnestrovian State Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 25th anniversary.
On November 25, 1994, The State Symphony Orchestra was formed in Tiraspol by the Resolution of the Government of the PMR. There were graduates of Tiraspol music school, teachers of music schools and students of the PSU. For the first years of its existence, the orchestra experienced serious difficulties related to personnel problems and lack of its own material base. In early 2000, the Palace of the Republic State Cultural Center was formed in Tiraspol. Its structure included the symphony orchestra.
The first conductor of the young collective was Alexander Novoselsky, who was replaced by Stepan Osechkin. Later behind the conductor 's console was the Honored Artist of the PMR Yuri Batuev.
In September 1999, the Pridnestrovian State Symphony Orchestra was led by experienced and versatile musician Gregory Moseyko. About professional formation of the collective, its creative successes and international projects he told the correspondent of Novosti Pridnestrovya News Agency.
- When was the first concert? Do you remember its program?
It took place three months after I came. In the great hall of the Palace of the Republic we performed an overture from the opera «Oberon» Weber, Bach's Second Brandenburg Concerto, the 39th classical symphony of Mozart. Russian music was presented by the famous Petr Tchaikovsky’s «Italian capriccio».
That evening the orchestra both struck and interested the audience. Because for the first time in a long time the public heard not variety compositions, but real classical music, besides, still performed not by visitors, but by their own, local musicians.
Of course, at that time not all the program was clear, someone for the first time tried to penetrate immortal creations of geniuses. However, it's important that there were also those who just enjoyed the sound. It is important that at this concert I began to feel my future raised, intelligent, and educated listener.
After several years of intensive fruitful work, the symphony orchestra managed to win its niche in the cultural space of Pridnestrovie. Many concerts began to take place at the full audience hall.
- Knowing about successes of the orchestra, the first President of the PMR Igor Smirnov presented to the collective a gift. What was it?
Igor Nikolayevich supported our orchestra, attended many symphony concerts. One of the most significant performances was a government concert dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the formation of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic.
Having successfully played the festive program, we passed a kind of test for strength. And a few months later they received the same gift from the president: a complete set of musical instruments produced by the world’s best firms, which included brass, percussion, as well as piano and harp.
- Orchestra repertoire is extensive – over 1000 titles. Some classical works are replaced by other, more complex ones. How do viewers host premieres?
For a long time, we have had our own listener, who grew up with us in spiritual and educational terms. If at the beginning we played easily lying on the hearing music, later we began to take on monumental works. One of them was Dmitry Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony, which was performed in the year of the composer's 100th anniversary.
Then there were his 6th, 9th, 14th and 15th Symphony, Bruckner's 4th Symphony, music by Pulenka, Stravinsky, Prokofiev… It is not only difficult in performing terms but also difficult for the perception of listeners. However, our public understands it, loves it and such programs usually gather full halls.
- All these years symphony orchestra has organized a number of interesting and long-term creative projects. Tell me about them.
We were always concerned about the problem of music education, and therefore the project «Young Talents of Pridnestrovie» was the first. Its purpose was to allow children from music schools of the republic to perform on a large stage together with a professional orchestra. Such a chance in life falls far from every musician, especially a child. Today, we can proudly say that many of the young participants of our «children's» concerts have chosen music as the main business of their lives.
The next Musical Hopes of Pridnestrovie project is created to attract young musicians and students of higher music college to participate in concerts as soloists. This program began to gain popularity not only in the republic but also outside it. In addition, it naturally developed into the Music Musical Spring of Pridnestrovie International Festival of Classical that has been held for 12 years. Our symphony orchestra is both the organizer and creative base of the festival, on the posters of which along with Pridnestrovians there are names of performers from Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Romania, Greece, Belarus, Moldova.
Discovering new talents, the Pridnestrovian State Symphony Orchestra continues to improve its performing skills. An example of this is long-term projects: Russian Embassy of Skill, French Piano Nights, USA – American Music and others. During their holding more than 50 professionals, winners of international competitions from different parts of the world played with the orchestra. All of them noded the high professional level of the collective, its mobility and creative maturity.
- In addition to good concert activity in the republic, have you performed at the international venues?
Masterpieces of ancient music, popular orchestra classic, Russian romance, jazz rhythms in our performance sounded during the Days of Pridnestrovie in Moscow in 2007.
In 2008 and 2009, we performed in the capital of South Ossetia Tskhinvali. These were the opening and closing of the Year of Pridnestrovie in the Republic of South Ossetia concerts, and bright programs of the Pridnestrovian Symphony Orchestra caused enthusiastic responses among the locals.
As the Maestro says, to its 25th anniversary the Pridnestrovian State Orchestra is in good professional form. Preparation for a large-scale event – to the Musical spring of Pridnestrovie XIII International festival of classical music in April 2020 has already begun. Many applications have been received from artists from Russia, Ukraine, England, Romania and not only.
“Opening the veil of mystery, I will say that it is planned to perform a concert Chopin, in which there will be a pianist from Great Britain. He had experience with orchestras from Japan, China, Venezuela, Australia, now he expressed a desire to play with us,” the conductor notes.
The upcoming huge event in the music world in 2020 is Beethoven's 250th anniversary. By the significant date, the orchestra together with the Pridnestrovian state choir will prepare “Fantasy for piano, choir and orchestra”. The solo party will be performed by the already familiar to the Pridnestrovian public pianist from Israel Raymond Scheinfeld. Beethoven's 6th Symphony and the overture «Leonora No. 3» will also be presented.
The 25th anniversary of the Pridnestrovian State Symphony Orchestra will celebrate with a big concert on November 29, 18:00 in the Palace of the Republic. The anniversary program will include the public favorite compositions, played during the quarter-century history of the band.
The material was prepared by Svetlana Gulinskaya
